Dorothy Louise Welch, longtime educator and faithful church member, died Aug. 14. She was 93. She was born Sept. 10, 1930, and grew up in East Dallas as the youngest of five children. As a child she attended First Baptist Church of Urbandale on her own and was baptized at age 11 in a white linen dress made by her mother. After graduating from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1948, she attended North Texas State University and earned an undergraduate degree in education, graduating in three years by taking classes each summer. Early in her teaching career, she began working on a master’s degree in school administration but soon decided this was not her calling and switched to her real passion—elementary education. “If the Lord gave me a talent, it was to see potential in children and to love them,” she said. She taught primary school, predominantly second grade, for 40 years in Dallas. She loved teaching, and near the end of her career, she was honored as a lifetime member of the P.T.A. She met her husband John at the Tower Theater in downtown Dallas, and they were married in 1954. They joined Wilshire Baptist Church in 1960, where they taught the 5-year-old Sunday school class for many years. She also served on the church’s preschool and history committees and on the search committee that recommended Pastor George Mason. Her husband John worked 48 years at the Baptist Standard, including 30 years as business manager. After he retired, they participated as volunteers in Church Builders. Dorothy Welch enjoyed quilting and doing handiwork. She won blue ribbons at the State Fair of Texas for her Christmas stockings, tablecloths and beading. Her quilts won awards from the Dallas Quilters Guild, and she was delighted to make one-of-a-kind items for friends and family. She enjoyed an active retirement and attended the same exercise class for many years, which she considered the secret to her longevity. She was a 30-year member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, sang in Wilshire’s New Song Choir and was active in Wilshire Adventurers. She was preceded in death by her husband John in 2001. She is survived by their son, Tom Welch of Palm Springs, Calif.; son David Welch and his wife Annamaria Di Bartolo Welch of Irving; and granddaughters Alessia and Elisa. Memorial contributions may be made to Wilshire Baptist Church—Missions, 4316 Abrams Rd, Dallas, TX 75214.
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